Characteristics of Gifted and Highly Able Students

1
Characteristics of Gifted and Highly Able
Students

• Morris School District
• 2007

2
Introduction

• The Morris School District Behavioral
  Characteristics
• Checklist consists of 10 traits advanced
  communication
• skills, creativity, humor, inquiry, insight,
  interests,
• memory, motivation, problem solving ability, and
• reasoning. Gifted students exhibit many of these
  
• characteristics, but not necessarily all. Some
  of the
• characteristics can be viewed as negatives in
  certain
• situations and environments.
• According to research, these attributes are
  evidenced across
• culture, disability, language, and socio-economic
  
• status.

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Advanced Communication Skills

• Reads above grade level with complex
  interpretations (in native language)
• Uses similes, metaphors, or analogies, rich
  imagery
• Questions word meanings for example, How can a
  bat be an animal and also be something we use to
  hit a ball?
• Demonstrates leadership abilities in
  nontraditional settings playground, home,
  church, clubs, sports, etc.
• Demonstrates social maturity, especially in the
  home or community.
• Expresses similarities and differences
• Uses specific language of a discipline
• Asks questions
• Eagerly translates for peers and adults
• Learns a second language at an accelerated pace
• Often disagrees vocally with others, with teacher
• Tends to dominate others

4
Creativity

• Generates new ideas and unique solutions to
  problems
• Develops, adapts, improves, or modifies objects
  or ideas related to learning experiences
• Demonstrates advanced coordination in physical
  activities
• Uses movement or music to demonstrate
  understanding
• Tends to select artistic outlet for free activity
  or classroom projects dance, music, drawing,
  technology
• Turns in messy work not interested in details

5
Humor

• Catches adults subtle or sophisticated jokes
• Displays intellectual playfulness
• Says or does something indicating a sense of
  humor beyond age mates
• Plays with language by using figurative language
  or puns for humorous effect
• Uses humor that may be absurd or far out
• Understands jokes and puns related to cultural
  differences
• Makes jokes or puns at inappropriate times

6
Inquiry

• Poses unforeseen questions
• Is curious about new words and phrases
• Enjoys problem solving
• Accesses data with ease using an unexpected
  variety of tools
• Becomes absorbed with self-selected problems,
  topics, issues

7
Insight

• Interprets past, present and future ramifications
• Interprets anothers point of view
• Demonstrates complex perspective in writing, oral
  discussions, art, or problem solving
• Listens to others with sensitivity expresses
  empathy
• Exhibits intense concern for human issues
• Is self-critical, impatient with failures
• Emotionally sensitive - may overreact, get angry
  easily, or get ready to cry if things go wrong
• Is critical of others, including teachers

8
Interests

• Presents a long attention span in areas of
  interest
• Bases friendships on similarity of interests
  rather than age
• Displays expertise in a single subject
• Bored with routine tasks (i.e. rote work)
• Challenges the need for rote learning
• Reluctance to explore assigned topics

9
Memory

• Requires minimum repetition for mastery
• Organizes, collects ideas in unique ways (using a
  self-developed mnemonic device)
• Retains, easily recalls, and uses new information
• Demonstrates extraordinary ability to process and
  retain information

10
Motivation

• Is curious, asks provocative questions,
  innovative experiments
• Takes the initiative to pursue areas of interest
• Prefers to work independently
• Prefers to work with students whose level of
  English proficiency is higher than their own
• Intense need to understand, asks penetrating
  questions
• Bored with routine tasks (i.e. rote work)
• Reluctance to explore assigned topics intensely
  focused

11
Problem Solving Ability

• Takes apart and reassembles ideas, objects, or
  experiences
• Enjoys analyzing and solving more difficult
  problems
• Offers alternate solutions sees many
  possibilities
• Challenges self and others to generate
  creative/non-traditional ideas or concepts

12
Reasoning

• Recognizes relationships or patterns between
  diverse ideas or experiences
• Ponders multiple perspectives
• Comprehends advanced ideas, concepts, or
  implications
• Comprehends symbolic representations musical,
  numerical, alphabetical or mapping
• Analyzes classroom tasks and instructional
  techniques
• Refuses to accept authority, nonconforming,
  stubborn
• Is critical of others, including teachers
• Thinks critically, may lead to skepticism

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Sources

• Castellano and Diaz (2002)
• Clark (1988)
• Frasier, et al (1995)
• Kingore (2001)
• Renzulli (1986)
• Tomlinson, Ford, Reis, Briggs, Strickland (2004)